Dream Catcher Killed
by Verjinya Mercer
Summary: Aria Elizabeth Bradley dreams of a vampire. When sudden revelation brings her to believe that the man in her dreams is in danger, help from her Uncle Tate just might save him. But how will Ian react when he learns that his savior is a human? And how will he repay the debt he feels he owes?
1. Chapter 1

"_It's too darn hot...It's too darn hot…" The walls of the club rattled in time with the music as a mass of humans writhe. I could see him standing to the side his eyes closed as he took in the smell. Nostrils flaring he zeroed in on a pink haired beauty in a leather bathing suit. Taking long strides he melted into the crowd. His hands wrapped around the ladies waist as the crowed swallowed them whole._

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

"Shoot!" Jolting awake I pressed a hand to my nose. "Not again. Mom do you have napkins in the car."

Shooting me an alarmed look she pointed to the glove compartment. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Blood ran down my left arm while I rummaged through a slew of car documents with the other. "You sure its in here?"

"That's gross." Lillian snarled from the back seat her eyes rolling in an ever teenage way.

The car pulled to a stop on a large grassy field. Sticking up in perfect rows were ivory tombstones painted orange in the dying light.

"Success!" Pressing fast food embossed napkins to my nose I tilted my head back. "Mom just go ahead I'll be right there."

Both Lillian and my mom stepped out of the car leaving me to nurse myself. Neither were fond of blood in fact it was probably a good thing that we were so close to the cemetery as my mother had a history of fainting at the sight.

Pinching the bridge of my nose I tried to shake the images of the intoxicating man from my thoughts. For the last ten years I have been having dreams about mysterious man.

At first it was great dreaming about a dark haired playboy but a play boy had to play. The dreams started when I was fifteen and since then I hadn't gotten a decent night sleep that wasn't medically induced. Sleeping pills were a god sent it was the little naps in between that got to me.

Nose bleeds were a nasty side effect to a nasty occurrence.

Once cleaned up I shoved the damp tissues deep into my pockets. I stepped out of the car and into the drizly weather of a depressing evening.

I found my family standing around a cleanly dug grave as a black dressed revenant gave the whole 'ashes to ashes' pep talk. My mom was crying again and my sister was slightly texting one of her many boyfriends.

Lt. James Oliver Bradley survived the second world war and Vietnam he just couldn't beat the fight of lung cancer. It had to have been all the cigarettes that got him threw the other two that gave him cancer.

Grampa Bradley was my mom's dad but we were never that close to him. After mom got married she moved half a country away to escape her dad she was probably regretting it from the way she cried. The only thing I remember about my grandfather were the peppermint candies he would give to me and Lily.

"-and now if the family would like to say a few words." Reverent Thomas yawned his face frightfully shadowed in the dark night. Paper lanterns that were supposed to have been lit hung limply in the light down pour.

Everyone stood awkwardly while waiting for someone to gather the courage to speak. Minutes passed before a towering figure appeared from the shadows.

"My father was a great man." The figure started just as recognition dawned on the surrounding relatives.

Looking closer I studied the man: Sharp jaw, cruise cut hair, and the bearings of a soldier.

Uncle Tate in the flesh.

Tate Oliver Bradley Jr. was born in the later years of my grandparents life. Fifteen year separated my mother from Tate so they weren't that close. The last memory I had of Uncle Tate was him visiting us in Washington just before he enlisted. There was a rumor in the family going around that Tate had joined a black ops team but there was also a rumor going around that I got pregnant twice so the information couldn't be trusted.

"I pledge my life to protecting this country just like my father. He will be greatly missed." Turning away he bleed back into the shadows as great Aunt Wilma took the floor.

"My brother was a sinner."

I took a deep breath.

"But may god have mercy upon his soul."

Stepping back I decided it wasn't going to be comfortable to listen in on the next few minutes of this speech. I trecked deeper into the cemetery being mindful of where I stepped. Twenty down and thirty across was my dads grave and surprisingly there was someone already there.

I looked down on the headstone and read the words I knew by heart. "Staff Corps Emerson Bradley: Father, Husband, and hell of a shot."

"Your dad always did have a strange sense of humor." Uncle Tate quipped bending to wipe off the water that had pooled in the crevices of the head stone.

"He got it from me." I braged sticking my hands in my pockets. "Yuck."

I had forgotten about the tissues I had stored in my pockets pulling my hand out I noticed some crusted blood under my nails. Lucky a little rain could wash it away.

"So what have you been up to?" Looking up I barely caught the emerald glow in Tate's eyes the next moment it was gone. I had seen those eyes before in fact I had just seen them in a dream a half an hour ago. "Even better question when did you become a vampire?"


	2. Chapter 2

The look of surprise almost made the reappearance of the glow stick eyes worth it. "What do you know about vampires?"

Snorting I stepped closer. "Do you have fangs?" Before he could stop me I pulled his top lip back to examine his teeth, much like a veterinarian would look at a dogs. "Those are terribly unimpressive."

"Aria!" He glared down at me his fangs fully extended. "Stop touching me!"

"Like grandma's gonna stop me now." I taunted flicking him on the nose. "As a vampire did that hurt?"

"No, but it's annoying!" Grabbing the neck of my jacket he lifted me up dangling my a good foot off the ground.

"Can you fly." I asked grinning down at my thoroughly ticked off Uncle. "I saw this one vampire take off from the roof like freaking Superman."

And just like that I was on the ground the bottom of my skirt soaking up the muddy water coating the wet grass.

"What vampires do you know?" Tate's face went white which was quite the feet as he was pretty pasty before.

Shaking my head I stood up. "None really in fact I wasn't even sure until I saw your eye and-," I watched his shoulders. "You're not breathing."

"You said you saw a vampire fly." He gritted his teeth, I narrowed my eyes I wondered if his fangs retracted at will. "Aria!"

"Right." I jumped. "You remember my epic nosebleed dreams?"

He nodded his head. "Mama said you had some sort of sleeping disorder in one of her letters."

"Well those dream followed the very dirty exploits of some vampire." I wiped water from my eyes. "I thought it was all just apart of a very strange subconscious but if you really are a vampire then Mr. Mysterious man might exist."

My head ran threw all the scenarios of meeting the man that was quite literally the 'man of my dreams.'

"You're telling me you dream about vampires." Tate asked me incredulously.

I smiled sharply back at him. "Pot and kettle, bat boy."

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

_He was screaming. Bolted down with shiny silver cuffs the lady with pink hair poured melted silver down the length of his naked body._

"_You'll be my fifth kill this month." The lady's eyes glowed yellow in the brightly lit room. "But you should feel special." She leaned in and whispered in the man's ear. "You just popped my vampire cherry."_

"_Always obliged." He man growled at the lady._

"_We are going to have so much fun."_

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"Las Vegas." Gasping upright I gagged at the sticky metallic liquid coating my throat. "What is that?"

My stomach clenched as I vomited all over my father's burial plot. I glared up at Tate who stood watching me, stunned. "Was that what I think it was?"

He held his hand tight to his chest.

"Who thinks of doing that?" I shouted getting to my feet. "That is gross!"

"Does that happen often?" Tate's eyebrows were cast down.

"No." I spat. "People don't randomly feed me blood." I paused. "Is it a vampire thing?"

"Yes, its a vampire thing." Gritting his teeth he took a deep breath. "How often do you faint and hemorrhage from your face?"

"Thats new." A sharp pain cut threw my head throbbing in between my eyes. "Dude, that vampier I dream of is in trouble."

"The one you have dreams about?"

"Yes." I snapped. "You need to go save him."

Indecision flashed over his face before he took a cell phone from his pocket. "Where is this guy?"

"Las Vegas there should be a locked hatch were the old Castaway hotel used to be." I mumbled as the throbbing got worse. Closing my eyes I listened to Tate talked on his phone.

"Trent are you still at Charleston Base?...I need you to check on something."


	3. Chapter 3

Two weeks later...

"Xavi! What did you do to my clean fusion engine?!" I watched horrified as black tar leaked from my midterm masterpiece. "I asked you to run a test on it." A particularly large tar bubble popped splattering my shirt with molten dots of lava. "Not plug it into the core of the planet!"

"I did." He screamed "I did what you asked it started to boil over twenty minutes ago." Slapping on his welding mask he disappeared behind a cloud of sparks. "I use sour cream just like you said!" He shouted over the din.

"Heavy cream!" I screamed back at him. "Heavy! Cream!"

Taking in deep breath I swallowed back the can of butt kicking I was about to unleash on my little friend. Another bubble bursted splattering my arm.

Closing my eyes I stepped away from my engine while stripping off my shirt. I stalked into my office tossing my shirt at the wall before I noticed the lone figure standing in the corner.

Squeaking I scrambled to grab papers from my desk to cover my shockingly bare body.

"Oh my gosh." Tate used my shirt to cover his eyes. "Ari this is a public campus! Put on some clothes.

Blushing I unlocked my desk and pulled on a ratty old t-shirt I kept for 'accidents' that occurred on the job.

"Are you decent?" He asked still hidden behind my dirtied t-shirt.

"I'm clothed if that's what you mean."

"Har, har." He rolled his eyes tossing my shirt on the desk he took the seat opposite. "Why may I ask are you trouncing around without your shirt?"

Snorting I sat as well, kicking my heels up on the desk. "My classmate tried to sabotage my project." Raising my voice I stared pointedly at the hispanic man welding flat sheets of steel together. "My heels will tread upon the necks of my adversaries." Xavi's thick gloved hand flipped me the bird.

"Well that explains it." Tate's eyebrows rose. "So how have the dreams been going?"

My back straightened. "Your mean ever since you told me to stop taking my sleeping pills?" My eyes narrowed. "I have low iron levels now that I lose so much blood from nose bleeds."

Tate rubbed his forehead. "My superiores asked for me to bring you in-for testing?"

Reaching for the stash of oreos under my desk I thought it over. "That could be interesting."

His shoulders dropped as he gave a sigh of relief. "I thought you would be a little bit more against the idea."

"Tate." I stared at him shrewdly. "I see this vampire guy every night." My eyes glazed over. "It was easy before when I just got a peek. Now," I bit my lower lip. "I see the good and the bad."

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

"I don't see why the blindfold was necessary." I sat in a plain white room with a doctor's examining table and a two way mirror. Blinking at my reflection I stuck my tongue out.

As college student I had pulled many all nighters but never before had I been on a sleeping fast. I had to keep raising my eyebrows to keep my eye lids open. It was pretty funny.

"Protocol." The he-man hulk of a boy barked all while standing at full attention by the door.

"I would like to talk to my Uncle?" I sniffed crossing my legs on the examining table and almost losing my balance.

"He will be here in a moment." Soldier boy barked yet again. Rolling my eyes at the mirror I pointed at my guard and mouthed 'really?'in a very exaggerated way.

The door beside Soldier boy creaked open as an elderly women strolled in. Her wore a white lab coat and her hair was tucked up into a ballerina bun at the top of her head. I would have said that she looked matronly had it not been for the sharp gaze in her eyes.

"We have requisitioned a copy of your physical administered by the school and I have no qualms about it." She look down at the clipboard she had clutched in her hands. "We are just going to jump in with testing." Looking up she locked me in her steady gaze. "You haven't slept in the last 24 hrs correct?"

Thank you for reminding me. You know when you are so tired that suddenly you become energized? Well that wore off a half an hour ago now I was just paranoid.

But the older lady scared me to much so I nodded meekly.

"Good." Flipping threw her notes she asked me about my diet and medication all in all it felt like normal doctors appointment. "Come with me, we need you to get changed and wired up.

If I wasn't so tired that might have been alarming instead I followed the good doctor out of the room, down the hall, and into a larger room filled with computer monitors and a particularly satanic version of a dentists chair.

Yeah, no.

"I would like to talk to my Uncle." I hyperventilated. "This instance!"

"Sorry about that Ari." Tate suddenly appeared at my side. "They needed me for a security problem."

I glared at my Uncle. Thanks for showing up!

The moment I got in the car with Tate a blindfold was tied over my eye. After we arrived at our destination he was called off by the higher ups and had left me all alone.

"I'm thinking of some very painful ways to impale you with that I.V. pole right there." I grit my teeth. "Don't make me go to another funeral."

"Deep breathes." Tate breathed patting me on the head. "Remember its just a test we will stop the moment you want us to."

The grandmotherly doctor opened her mouth but Tate cut her a sharp look. "I can take you back to the campus if you want me to."

Shaking my head I rolled my shoulders back. "You people are the only ones that believe my dreams are real." Walking towards the chair I curled my hands into fists. "Lets see if your tests can give me answers."

-0-

Ian Flannery looked down at the desert compound his lips curled into something resembling a smile. The phone in his front pocket ringed.

"Yes, you can have your property in the Keys back." Phone pressed to his ear he turned back to the makeshift army base. "If it's her I might even give you back your boat."


	4. Chapter 4

"It would be better if we could shave your head." The old lady doctor smiled holding a buzzer in one hand and a handful of wires in the other.

"I don't think so, Meredith." Tate said placing a firm hand on the old ladys shoulder.

"Meredith," I smiled meekly. "Hell, no."

"Fine," She sighed exasperatedly. "But don't come crying to me if the data is inconclusive."

"I won't." I assured her.

After I had calmed down I was given a hospital gown to change into. Once dressed a whole bunch of suction cups were attached to my head. A heart monitor was strapped to my wrist and an I.V. drip was attach to my inner elbow.

"Is this all really necessary." I asked as my eyelids grew droopy.

"We don't make guesses, Ms. Bradley so we aren't going to take any chances." Old lady snort as she stuck a wire in between my eyebrows.

I met Tate's eyes across the room and rolled my own. He snickered but tried to hide it behind a cough.

The chair was lowered back and a cool compress was laid over my eyes.

"Sweet dreams, Ms. Bradley."

I fidgeted and giggled at the absurdity of what was happening but it didn't take long for me to fall asleep.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

_You couldn't see the man if you weren't looking for him. He seemed to be blending in with the shadows. Swiftly he moved thru the air dark eyes studying the desert ground. Suddenly a chain link fence appeared followed by what looked to be a military base. Perching on one of the buildings he swivelled looking around. _

"_Darling I really hope you're out and about." His eyes glazed over as he smiled toothily. "A little bird told me that you were here and I think we should chat."_

_He shook his head his smile wiping from his face. "I really hope I'm not going insane."_

_**You and me both, brother.**_

_His eye widened. "Thats new."_

_A slight breeze swept hair into his face. "O, speak again bright angel."_

_He stilled as he dropped to a roof. "Or not thats okay too."_

_The man made his way to the rooftop door. Taking the handle in his grip he crushed it and swung the door open. Jumping down the steps he made his way down the hall to a door labeled stairs. An electronic card reader was were the handle should have been. "I hate the twenty first century." He muttered under his breath as he fished a card out of his jacket._

_Sliding it through the card reader glowed green and swung open._

_Down seven flight of stairs he came to a stop at a door marked 23G. Again he used the card to open the door. _

_This time though a room was revealed boasting what looked to be a night guard. Before the guard could cry out the man's eyes flashed green. "You do not see me."_

_The guard nodded while his eyes glazed over._

_The man passed the guard to the hallway just beside him. The hallway was stark white and boasted doors that leafed off in both directions. _

_At the end of the hallway was a clouded glass door. _

_Slipping passed the door the man froze. _

_The girl was asleep. _

_The top half of her face was covered by a cloth but still thick caramel colored curls fanned around her head. Lightly tanned skin peeked out beneath a knitted blanket._

_Fully reclined she lay sprawled out and vulnerable. _

_Even more so because of the gun pointed at her head._

_A woman in her late fifties stood over the girl a tiny black gun in her hands. The room was empty except for her, a thing she no doubt had planned. A dull look glazed over her eyes as if she too was in a deep sleep._

_The man's eyes glowed. "Ducky, put the gun down."_

_The older women didn't move._

"_I must insist," The man stepped closer. "Ducky put the gun down."_

_She still refused to move._

"_You leave me no choice." He strode confidently forward but before he could reach her the woman shoved the barrel of the gun in her mouth and pulled the trigger._


	5. Chapter 5

I woke up covered in blood.

Which in itself was nothing new, were it not for the body slumped over my stomach. A tight gray ballerina bun graced the head of the body with shaking hands I turned Merideth over.

I looked up sharply at the door but the vampire was gone. Looking back down at the body it occurred to me what had just happened.

Opening my mouth I let out a bloodcurdling scream. By the time I stopped for breath Tate had shattered the door and was at my side. He gently lifted Meredith from my legs and set her neatly on the ground before gathering me into a hug.

Pulling away his eyes shone bright emerald. He put a hand over his mouth miming to me that he wasn't breathing. He waited until human guards came before he left.

As soon as the nurses came they got me out of the chair and wires. The I.V. came out to. I was lead out into the white hallway to a room adjacent.

This room looked more like a typical hospital room. A bed, two chairs, and a bathroom was all it had.

"We will let you change," One of the guards said backing out of the room. "If you need anything we will be just outside the door."

"Thank you."

Once the door was closed I ripped off the hospital gown and tossed it in the trash.

My backpack lay on the bed. I zipped it open and dumped the contents out. I had packed sporadically tossing in anything I thought I might need. T-shirts and underwear fell out with screwdrivers and bolts. Finally at the bottom was baby wipes. Tarring the package open I furiously wiped at my face and arms and stomach. It wasn't until I used the last wipe that I felt clean.

"Cleanliness is close to godliness but I do believe there is a line." The man grinned quietly from his perch in the corner, he held the hospital gown in his hands. "If you scream like you did before not only will I become incredibly aroused but I will kill anyone who comes thru the door including that half brain, Tate."

Shocking green eyes studied me from behind a stray lock of hair that had untucked from behind his ear. Standing at nearly six-two he was barely taller than me but managed to appear much taller. It had to have been the leather pants that made his legs appear longer because he wore little else.

My eyes came back up to his face just as his did.

"Do you like what you see?"

I grit my teeth. "I thought you would be better looking"

His eyes gleamed. "Have we met before?"

"Only in a dream." I muttered softly my eyes lighting on the bed and the pointy Phillips head screwdriver that would make a nice impaling device.

"Must have been some dream." His eyes twinkled.

"More like a nightmare." I spat inching closer to the bed. I paused as he licked his lips.

"Those are the best kind."

Shoot, I could feel my resolve crumbling around me. Lunging for the bed I managed to grab the pointy object just as the man grabbed for me. Spinning I drove the screw driver thru his shoulder but the man only laughed maniacally.

"You've impaled me with a screw." He snorted. "How refreshing that's normally my job."


	6. Chapter 6

To say that things got a little awkward would have been an understatement. All the air was forced from my lungs as we were both flung on the bed.

"So eager." He chuckled his breath caressing my cheek. His body spread across the length of mine pressing me deeper into the mattress.

"You betch ya." Pumping my leg upward I kneed him in the groin.

Snarling his eyes flashed green and his fangs extended. "We were having such a lovely time."

"Is that what this is?" I squirmed trying to bash in his head with my forehead. When I did finally connect with his chin I realized that it wasn't the most brilliant of ideas. Pain blossomed behind my forehead.

"Your so pathetic." The man snorted. "Its kind of cute."

"What is your problem?" I growled shaking my head. "What do you want?"

"Darling, I'm looking for a girl that has wild fantasies about me." His eyes lost the faint glow as he studied me intently.

Growing up I had fantasies about meeting him granted none of them turned out like this.

This was the man I had grown up with. I knew him better than I knew anyone else. Which frankly was nothing to brag about. "Sorry _Sweetie_, but I'm strictly a Brad Pitt kind of gal."

He blinked in surprise. "Do you ever not have a comeback."

Shoot, now I couldn't think of anything to say. Instead I pondered on the gravity of the situation. "So, what are you going to do to me." I asked in the most deadpan of manors. No need for him to find a sexual innuendo in there.

"Honestly." He sat up straddling my waist. "I was thinking about killing you."

"Well, if we are being honest," I smiled serenely. "I was having those same thoughts."

He returned my smile. "And here I was thinking you were flirting."

"My highly trained military bad-ass of an uncle is going to kick your-."

He leaned down arching his back till his nose hovered over mine. "The more you talk the more I'm feeling inclined towards killing you."

"I'm hurt, I thought we were bonding." I placed a hand over my chest and widened my eyes. I suddenly had an idea.

Pressing his cheek against mine he whispered in my ear. "Is that what this is?"

I sucked in a quick breath, hoping that he thought that I had suddenly come down with a case of lust for him. "Can you hear my heart beating?" I whispered brushing my lips against his cheek.

"I heared that vampires have enhanced hearing." I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"What you said before," I took a deep breath. "I hope this really turns you on."

As I was talking he had closed his eyes and pulled deeper into my body until his head rested in the crook of my shoulder.

He eyes snapped open a half second before I let out a scream that would have shattered the eardrum of a deaf man. Snarling he attempted to pull away, my arms held on to him tightly but I knew that wouldn't be enough.

Before he could break my hold I snapped my mouth open and bit down on the fleshy muscle of his shoulder.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

_A man sat all alone in what looked to be a rotting box. He sat on the floor in the dirt his feet bare and his pants fraying. Soft light filtered in between the boarded up windows causing the drifting dust to sparkle._

"_Godric!" A voice cried from outside of the shack. "Master!"_

_The man remained un-moving the light in his eyes all but extinguished._

"_Master your time is up. Your morning is over, it is time for you to greet the world again." The voice drew closer as the roof shook._

_There was a banging at the door. "Your brethren need you. Your Knights need you."_

_His fingers twitched._

"_Godric arise and take up your armor! Lesser men then you have healed of a broken heart!" The door disintegrated under the relentless pounding. _

_A figure of a young man stood in the open door way shrouded in light. "Leave your tomb and re-enter the world of the living."_

_The motionless man slowly rose to his feet dusting his clothes free of dirt. "Riley, I believe you may have overdone it."_

_The young man named Riley shook his head. "You are yet living."_

"_Good point." The man nodded before holding out a hand. "Cellphone."_

_The young man with drew a black cell from his coat and handed it to his master. "He called you twice."_

"_Which one?"_

"_The long haired one."_

_The man sighed. "I wonder what he wants me to do?"_


	7. Chapter 7

"Yes, I know this looks bad but I can assure you that her chastity is intact." I woke up groggily in the tight embrace of a shirtless vampire a occurrence I assure you was not that common.

"For now at least." He said crisply stroking a line down the bridge of my nose. "Pity you woke before the kiss."

"Aria, you okay?" Tate growled from the doorway.

I lifted my head to get a better look at the situation.

Tate and several other guards stood comically together at the doorway as if any moment they would jump into action and get jammed in the door frame. The vampire Ian lay comfortably at my side my shoulder and everything else following were pinned under his heavy torso.

Things were not looking in my favor.

"I'm as fine as circumstances permit." I choked out.

"Fine is a bit of an understatement." Ian bent his head brushing his nose against my lips. "You swallowed enough of my blood to make you more powerful then J. I. Jane over there."

"She swallowed your blood?" Tate choked sounding more surprised then outraged.

"Quite a bit actually." He chuckled. "You little leech."

Tate swore under his breath. "Ian get off my niece or-."

"Or what?" Ian growled sitting upright infolding me in his arms and legs.

"Stop acting like a child." Tate in return growled.

I raised my hand patiently waiting out the squabble. "I have a question-well, more like a question and a request. Actually two questions and a request."

Both parties quieted in the wake of my tenacious words. "First of all how do you guys know each other?"

"We have crossed paths before." Tate said.

"We've attempted to bed the same woman." Ian corrected. "By bed I mean sex." He staged whispered.

"Halt." I raised my hand silencing whatever was going to follow. "question two: Blood. I couldn't swallow yours that night in the cemetery...but his blood was," I searched for the right words. "Palatable."

"Delicious," Ian chuckled resting his chin on my head. "You can say it."

"No, I can't." I snorted rolling my eyes. "Just answer the question."

My uncle seemed to struggle with himself for a moment before sighing. "You have the right to know but not like this." He gestured for his men to back out as he closed the door behind them. "Ian release my niece."

"Or what?" He repeated.

"Or Cat will rip your guts out through your mouth."

"That was unnecessarily graphic." I blinked. "But on that subject." I coughed. "I would like to request that someone hand me my shirt."


	8. Chapter 8

"Don't you think this is too weird?" I asked whispering to my uncle.

After the strange conversation in the Hospital room and I had the opportunity to change and think about how horrible everything had gone. Not only did I not find out the source my dreams but someone was dead.

I looked at the gentleman leering at me across the table. Scratch out that first part I suppose the source of my dreams had been found answering that question. Too bad the answer just managed to create a plethora of other problems.

"Laying a finger on my niece will get you killed faster than you can say 'stachatory rape'." Tate growled placing one hand on the table.

We had moved from the Hospital room to the interrogation room I had first started in. The only difference being an extra chair across the table that Ian sat on.

He looked exactly like I had always dreamed him. The entirety of this experience was absolutely surreal. Had he not been looking back at me this might have just been a dream.

His eyebrow quirked.

"If this was a dream there'd be less clothes...and Whipped Cream." He grinned roguishly.

Or at least I think he did because a split second later Tates fist smashed into his grin. The air in the room seemed to vibrate as we waited for Ian to retaliate but the man sat still in his seat as Tate returned to his.

"I let you have that one because she is your kin but the next time it won't go unanswered." Ian smiled serenely.

My uncle let out a low guttering sound. "Do not test me."

Leaning back in my chair I snorted drawing attention away from the tense situation to me. "You guys talk like you have any choice in the matter." Two sets of emerald green eyes focussed on me. "If I do. If I don't." I waved a hand around the room. "It's not up to either of you. My body. My Choice."

The statement seemed to get raised eyebrows from both parties. I hoped that meant a truce. "Besides, don't we have more pressing matters?"

"You're right," Tate swiveled back to Ian. "How did you find this base?"

I turned to study him as well. How did he know where I was? Even I didn't know where I was.

Ian smiled brightly. "Google Maps."

I bit back a grin as Tate restrained his temper.

"It was Spade wasn't it?" I said clasping my hands in my lap.

Ian tilted his head in my direction. "And why would you think that?"

"You said he could have the house in the Keys back," I fiddled with my collar. "And if it was really me, he could have the boat too."

Ian swore. "I forgot about the boat."

"Ari, stop reinforcing your connection to him it's unsettling." Tate rubbed his temples. "But I suppose it's making Cat's theory a bit more plausible."

I blinked. "Cat as in the Red Reaper! The lady that kicked this guys butt?!" Chuckling I turned to Ian. "That was a particularly tasty dream."

"You know you keep saying things that make all my retorts sound like sexual innuendos." He ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know whether or not this is calculated on your part or you're an idiot savant."

"Anywho," I tried to steer the conversation back in the right direction. "What theory?"

"I don't think I quite grasped the concept of what was happening but I think you do." He stared pointedly at Ian. "What is a _Chrysol_?"

Ian's back straightened as he sat upright a frown marring his face. "Was it Cat who said that or was it someone else?"

"That is what Mencheres called Aria." Tate growled frustrated. "Now what does that mean?"

Licking his lips Ian feigned disinterest. "Ari, when you drank my blood and subsequently blacked out you didn't dream about me did you?"

"You're right," I said eyeing him suspiciously. "It was some dusty guy in a run down shack."

Ian stood suddenly. "Excellent, we can start with that."

"Start with what?!" Tate spat exasperated.

"With this." In one swift movement, Ian picked up Tate and flung him into the two-way mirror on the far wall. Pain ripped through my forehead as Ian took a step towards me.

"What?-" Blood dripped from my nose as Ian gathered me in his arms.

"Sleep." He whispered.

And I did.


End file.
